A stupid idea: A Brase story
by Ethan OSec
Summary: A stupid idea from Adam on a mission: All it takes for Bree and Chase to fall in love! How much will it take for them to accept it? What about Owen? Or Chase's increasingly worrying glitches? And now, what? Marcus is back as the brother they never wanted? Will the Lab Rats manage to stop the evil plot threatening humanity? Read and find out. Post-Bionic Showdown. Brase.
1. Chapter 1 - Dinner at La Tour d'Argent

Bree's POV

It all started with a misunderstanding. A really stupid one at that. After our fight against Marcus and his evil dad, Davenport had been more and more confident in our abilities. A couple of months only after our tragic discovery of another bionic « comrade », he was already sending us back on the field. And the missions were not getting any easier…

« You handled a lot more that I thought you could. Dealing with the secret of your origins and all. You all deserved more crédit than I had given you for. Especially you, Adam », he had said.

Just the time to ignore some snarky comment from Leo about how messed up our family was and how it was not getting any better, and we were flying in the inventor's private jet to Paris.

« I think we should review the plan one last time. », Chase said with the air of superiority he often used whenever we would go save the world, or whatever.

« Easy. Go in. Spy. Run out. Done and done ! », I said just to piss him off.

« Not everybody has a super speed bionic chip », he replied playfully.

« I don't understand this mission, Mr Davenport », Adam complained. We all had to admit that the plan would prove to be challenging for Adam's… skill set.

« Guys, my brother had and still has a network of people he was working with… financing his sick research, providing him material, probably buying his inventions. We need to focus on the big picture, hère. », Davenport chimed in. « We can't just go ahead and destroy everything. That would cut all our leads. »

« That's right ! ». Leo. Tone all secret agent like again. « So, Chase and Bree, you're tourists who happen to be having dinner at La Tour d'Argent. Our sources confirm that our lead will have a « business meeting » at the same restaurant tonight. Your job is to collect information using Chase's super hearing. »

« We do not arrest the man, Chase intervened. Bree, you can speed us out in case things go awry. Adam, you provide diversion and clear the path if we ever need to make a quick exit. Questions? »

« I have one question », I said. « Who pays the check ? »

It all started with a stupid, stupid idea. Well, being from Adam, I should have known better. But when he raised concerns about how Chase and I would not look old enough to impersonate clients of La Tour d'Argent, I did not second-guess him.

« Maybe you should just act like a young couple. Two love birds, young and foolishly in love in Paris. Sounds harmless enough. »

« Tasha ? »

« Yes, dear. A secret mission in one of the fanciest Parisian restaurants. Wouldn't miss it for the world. »

« Hey, Big D., do you think that maybe Janelle and I… ». « Absolutely not. », replied Tasha and Davenport automatically. The usual banter always helped us relax before a difficult mission. I think, somehow, back home, they knew it too.

And then, out of the blue, the problems began.

« Hey, Chase, if you kiss Bree, that will look so funny… because you're so short! ».

Chase's head turned abruptly towards my direction, a questioning look on his face. I shrugged, secretly hoping that the weird movement was not a glitch.

After that, Leo, Tasha and Donald went offline, allowing us to focus on our objective. The jet dropped us not too far away from the restaurant. I had fought with the boys to avoid the wig, but they had been adamant with the high heels. They would only slow me down. The long red dress Tasha had chosen for me was even worse, but judging by the gaping mouths of the boys, it seemed all worth it.

Chase and I entered the restaurant side by side. We stood there, losing ten precious minutes, just taking in the amazing view. The hostess welcomed us with a suspicious look. As if we were about to pull a childish prank and run away laughing. I could see, Adam, waiting outside, getting antsy. Chase smoothly put his arm around my waist and shot a nerdy smile to her. That's when I really looked at him since we had gotten off the plane. The black suit, the white fitted shirt, the red tie. The hair just wrong in the right way. Wasn't he a little taller than usual? Again, he glanced me at me, his expression of delight shifting into a distant, semi-interrogating smile.

I pulled away and quickly managed to request in French a table for two. Chase kept staring at me the whole time the hostess guided us to our seats. Yes, this was a bad idea from the start. A huge misunderstanding. And yet, here I was, sitting across Chase in an expensive restaurant, going crazy over what could be going on in the boy's head.


	2. Chapter 2 - Science gone wrong

Chase's POV

"Are you OK, Chase?"

I put a smug smile on my face then hid my chuckle behind the menu. She kicked me in the leg. I looked at her, unable to fully mask my amusement.

"Can you hear them?". She discreetly pointed towards another table, where our target was tasting wine with a few other people. I nodded. I was adjusting the audio feed every half-minute or so to make sure the recording would be audible later. Yes, later, because at the moment, I had an entirely different scientific experiment in mind. Davenport would understand. If I were to tell him, he would.

I kept the super hearing on and made sure my chip was recording the conversation, but focused the rest of my attention towards Bree as her hazelnut eyes were browsing the menu. Absolutely nothing happened. I kept observing her for several minutes, waiting for my theory to be confirmed. She looked up and marveled at the view again. I saw an opening to validate my hypothesis.

"You look beautiful, too."

And there it was, for the third time tonight. And to me, that was proof enough.

"You clean up pretty good yourself", she whispered when our waiter arrived to take our orders. Bree randomly picked items from the menu with a French she had already managed to improve in the five minutes we had spent in the restaurant. Her eyes sparkled when the waiter came back with complementary fruit cocktails. I lost my train of thoughts again.

"Chase? Chase!"

"Hm? Sorry, I was listening to our friend's conversation."

We shared a knowing glance.

"What is he saying?"

"Too risky to share right now. We will listen to the recording back home."

"Great idea!", she said, with a shy smile.

Knowing about it from rational testing and experiencing the full force of what was actually happening to the both of us tonight were two entirely different feelings. Tingles ran along my neck as she was complimenting my initiative. Meanwhile, an another part of me was relieved that I did not have to explain why I could not share our target's plans ; because, truth be told, I was barely paying attention to them anymore.

"So, us acting like we are an item. Stupid idea or what?", she asked, then sipped on her glass, I suspected, to regain some composure.

"I would say it is working really well", I beamed. "Adam's genius works in mysterious ways, mostly, because he sees things we don't."

"True that. I wonder if I should tell Owen about it.", she joked.

I fell my face and heart harden at the implication. "Jealousy" flashed in my mind, last coherent word before Spike threw the table against the wall. That was the first time a mission went awry because of my non-brotherly feelings for Bree. In one night, Adam had planted a seed of new feelings of her ; I had let and watched them grow into a kind of love we could never act on ; and I was already throwing a jealousy tantrum over my sister. Great job, Chase! Sometimes, having a super computer instead of a brain did not actually make you smarter ; you were just a heck of a lot faster to process unrequited feelings…

By the time Spike receded, we were back in the jet, flying home. First thing I noticed, Bree was back into her lab uniform. Second, Adam's cheek slightly bruised. Third, Bree was convincing Davenport to examine my chip as soon as I got back into the lab. I already knew what he would find. A whole lot of nothing ; but if he could read my feelings, there would be enough to send him to therapy!

"So?", I asked, trying to sound casual, voice still hoarse. Had Spike been yelling at the customers or what?

"Adam got us out in time.", Bree said. I waited to see if they would share more, but nothing came.

"Man, you are injured. Did you have to fight our way out?", I asked Adam.

"Actually, you… Spike did this.", he answered, sounding unsure. I started apologizing but he raised his hand, signifying that we were good. I still felt horrible.

"Adam had to knock you out. It is like Spike had decided to tear the whole place down."  
Seriously, brain? Over a girl who was a crush less than 30 minutes ago? And just the girl you grew up with two hours earlier?

"Davenport downloaded the recording", she continued, hesitantly. I could hear from the speakerphone that everybody was holding theirs breaths. Did they fear another of Spike's outbursts?

"Chase, Bree added, we found Marcus."


	3. Chapter 3 - Heartbeats

**So wow! Already Chapter 3. Thanks for the reviews! I have a good idea where I am going with this story and I think Bree and Chase are going for a loooong run. Hopefully it will be worth it! I will try and update at least twice a week. Please please keep reviewing if you like the story and/or if you have ideas for plot twists. I will try to include them. :D**

Bree's POV

"Impressive, Bree ! Who would have thought your French could improve so much over the week-end? Tres bien."

Figures, I thought. Nothing like the actual stuff to get you to progress quickly.

"Parce que Bree est extraordinaire", Owen added, standing up in front of the whole class. A few cheerleaders giggled. I shot him a quick smile and walked back to my seat, blushing. Barely. Slightly annoyed, really. Something was off.

"If Owen does not have any other love he would like to profess and share with the class, I suggest we continue with the lesson", said the teacher in a sharp tone, obviously upset by my boyfriend's interrupting her while we were having such a nice teacher-student moment. Well, looks like she will not be using my progress in French for her pep talk about studying today.

"Hey! The cute boy who you happen to be dating just did something really cute. Stop frowning!", my neighbor Danielle whispered.

"Am not", I whispered back. She rolled her eyes and set her mind on ignoring me for the rest of the period. I would have to make up with her later today. Because, yes, I was annoyed. Even more so because I could not figure out why. I glanced at Owen who was too busy to notice, with all his pals gesturing "thumbs up!" towards him. One guy was actually making kissing sounds with his mouth ; Owen chuckled and winked.

"Showboat", I grumbled while I was turning back to face the board. I knew well my boyfriend was an artist and as a supportive girlfriend, I was also really understanding when he expressed his feelings for me through his art. It just never occurred to me that he was also getting popularity out of the deal. Watching him get so cocky over 5 silly words in French, when he stood nowhere near the real deal, was even more unnerving. How could his barely mastered French compare with the dinner scene and Chase's tux? Slippery slope, I warned myself.

I drowned the rest of my thoughts in the bell ring and rushed out of the classroom.

Owen caught up with me at my locker.

"Bree, are we… okay?"

"Hey, French boy", I said, in a attempt to ditch the question. Epic fail.

"Hey yourself. Bree… you seem upset. Did I do something wrong?"

I nervously tucked a lock of my hair back behing my ear.

"No, you haven't done anything wrong." And he had not. I was being incredibly unfair to him. The realization made me even more annoyed, if that was still possible. Owen threw his puppy eyes at me, waiting expectantly for an explanation.

"It's just Chase", I started, struggling with words, "and I had a fight this morning."

"I don't know what to do with him", I added, finding myself surprisingly honest.

"Maybe I can take your mind off of him", he proposed with a seductive smirk. And it was cute. And he was cute. But I could not find a cell in me who wanted to kiss him at the moment.

"So… where did you learn that French sentence?", I asked to throw him off.

His answer was lost in the air as I noticed Chase walking down the hallway. He stopped next to us.

"Hey Owen!"

"Hi Chase."

"So I hear you both are speaking French now", Chase said, with a smug smile on his face.

What was he thinking?

"Bree kinda stumbled upon the most romantic scene in Paris last week-end. On TV", he added.

"Turned out to be a horror movie", I snarled.

"There was an unexpected ending", he replied, tone between admission and disagreement.

Chase! What game are you playing? I tensed. Owen stepped in.

"Listen, Chase! I think Bree needs some space right now…"

My bionic brother walked away from us, backwards, hands up in an apologetic pose.

"I am leaving, I am leaving, but… Owen, you should know better than to put yourself between our… fight."

Had he been eavesdropping on us with his bionic, now? Ok, I escalated from annoyed to just pissed off.

"Ch…", I started shouting.

"Besides", he continued, cocky as ever, "I only came to tell Bree that our father asked us to come home right after school, today. Don't make me ask Adam to carry you home."

"Fine", I caved. "You and Adam go first. I'll run behind you shortly. I promise you I will be there before you guys."

Chase finally dropped the act. Hurt flickered on his face. I instantly felt bad, but like Owen a few minutes before, I could not put my finger on what I had done wrong. I waited until Chase was out of my sight and ran away from Owen right after without adding another word.

The helicopter was flying over Russia and the team was all geared up to find and capture Marcus. Adam had jumped off as soon as we had opened the door. Chase and I watched his parachute pop up below.

"You go first", I proposed.

I still had not found the time to talk to him about today. Well, about everything really. My logical side was trying to talk me out of confronting him right before such a high profile mission. But I was growing tired of feeling guilty all the time. And edgy around my best friend. After Marcus' betrayal, Chase and I had turned to each other, to discuss bionics. The discovery of another engineered human like us and how he had turned against us affected both of us in different ways. Ways that Leo and Davenport could not fully comprehend. Ways that Adam probably did not even know existed. He was the smart sibling on this one, Chase and I joked. I decided it was time to have a talk with Chase. I took a huge breath in, for courage and…

He suddenly turned his head in my direction, with that hint of a smile and that absent look I had seen him with so many times over the last few days. This would provide a good starting point.

"Chase. You're not yourself these days. This new glitch… I know Davenport has not found anything wrong in your chip, but are you sure you are suited for the field just yet? What if Spike comes out again? And why do you hate Owen all of a sudden? What's the matter with you lately?", I blurted out.

He looked at me, puzzled.

"Bree, you don't… you haven't… you don't know?"

He leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"It's you.", he said. "I can hear it. Your heartbeat."

He moved away to observe my reaction as understanding spread on my face. We both listened to my heart pounding frantically in my chest. Chase then jumped off the helicopter. In spite of the wind, I could hear his genuine laugh while he fell to the ground at a breathtaking speed. I was kinda dizzy myself.

**What is coming up for the Lab Rats in Russia? Will they find Marcus? Most of all, will Bree finally get a clue? :-)  
Stay tuned in for more Brase.**


	4. Chapter 4 - For the sake of your enemy

**Chapter 4, folks! Thanks for the kind reviews. They really keep me going! So... can you tell where this story is going?  
I have to admit I am really having fun with Chase's glitches.**

Chase's POV

I just couldn't help it. Tuning in to Bree's heartbeat sufficed to make me smile. And it got insanely better each time I listened to the beats getting stronger whenever I was around. Like they reacted to my presence. It made me feel like I could take on the world. Even now as I was falling towards the ground, I would not have been able to tell if the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins was caused by the jump or by… the expression of shock on her lovely face.

Because it was wrong. I knew it. Can't be the smartest teen on the whole planet and miss that one. Well, I guess I could. Just had to enter a room to the sound of Bree's heart rolling the drums to forget all about how wrong this was. To remember how right it feels.

"Chase…"

If I were to be completely honest, I also knew these feelings were not mine to begin with. Bree was a sister and a friend. A best of friends, especially after all we had been through together after Marcus' defection. "There are only four of us on earth", she used to say "and we failed to remain friends. We are supposed to be the next generation of human beings. And we are waging wars at each other, like everybody else. We failed."

"Chase !"

I dig the notion of relativity. A lot. And I have read about the theory of complexity. Believe me, I can grasp the meaning of "grey area". Just take, well, Bree and I, I guess. But when it comes to Marcus, there is nothing shady about the way he acts, speaks, thinks. The guy turned us against Leo. Created a conflict and let it fester. Between siblings. That was just plain evil, no matter how you looked at it.

So, yeah, Bree was a sister and a friend… an awesome sister and a great friend, but I had never thought twice about it. Would have never thought twice about it if it had not been for this sweet sweet melody of her heat singing for me in the jet to Paris. That's when everything had changed. And now it was all I could think ab…

"CHASE!"

I finally heard Leo's and Davenport's voices yelling in my earphone. Woaw! Was I already this close to landing? More like crashing, to be scientifically accurate. Earth to Chase! We're about to do some serious lip locking! I closed my eyes. It was far too late to open the parachute.

I pulled the cord anyway with all my strength, hoping that it would at least slow me down. Keeping my eyes closed, I focused on my levitation skills. "It's not flying", I coached myself. "It's using my molecular kinesis on myself. I am not changing my course, not fighting the flow. Just decreasing celerity." I landed on the floor somewhat gracefully, but managed to stay on two feet.

"That was amazing!", shouted Leo in my ear.

"Dude! Super hearing here", I calmed him down.

"Oh… sorry!"

"We have some serious talking to do when you get home, Wonder Boy!"

"Come on, Big D, you can't ground him for that. He pulled it off. It was… It was…"

"It really was, wasn't it?", I heard my father say before I switched the earphone off.

Just in time for the second wave of scowling.

"Chase! Are you alright? What kind of idiotic move was that?"

"Owww, Bree. You DO care.", I answered.

She just looked down but I got rewarded with that irregular heartbeat I was becoming addicted to.

"Do not worry, Bree! Even if Chase had been crushed, he could not really be any shorter than this… Because you're so short.", he added after a long pause.

Bree hid her smile behind her hand. I really didn't mind.

"What now?", our big bro asked.

We were facing a huge metallic building, half hidden by the snow. It did not seem like there had been any major effort made to camouflage it. When it came to secret evil lair, I had to admit that the Davenports could do a lot better than this. This was bad news.

"What do you think?", Bree asked.

"Heavy security. Probably both human and technologic."

"Thought so."

"Alright, here is the plan. Bree, you super-speed into the laboratory. Disable the cameras that you can find and locate Marcus." I caught her arm. "This is recon' only. Do not engage him. Or anyone until we get to you."

"I can take care of myself", she snapped and broke free.

"It's not you I am worried about".

"Spike?", Adam ventured. "Do not worry, Chase! I can keep the little guy in check. Because, even when you're Spike, you're still so tiny."

Bree didn't laugh this time.

"Once you've discovered Marcus' location, you transmit his coordinates to me. Adam and I will join you to capture and recover him. Got it?"

"YES!", they said, half-hearted.

An uneasy feeling was settling in among us, as if something today was about to go terribly wrong.

"Let's go!"

Courtesy of Adam, whose heat vision opened a "door" in the nearest wall, Bree dashed into the dark building. I counted the seconds outside and tried to will myself into not tuning in to her heart again. One… Two… It had all happened too fast. Until now, I think I had sort of expected this thing between us to go away with next mission. Three… But it wasn't. And now, I ... Four… "She is still alive.", my super hearing confirmed. I could have recognized her rhythm anywhere. Five… …but the sound was fading away. She should have contacted us by now.

"You guys should come and see this!", she finally spoke through the earphones.

"Adam! Lead the way. Smash everything between Bree and me. And you.", I added quickly.

"And Marcus.", he completed cheerfully whilst he rushed himself against the next wall.

Bree was in the deepest room of the lab. It looked a lot like Davenport's basement. At least, before Leo found it. On the floor, two guards and five scientists in white coats had all be knocked unconscious.

"Told you I could take care of myself", Bree sighed sheepishly.

I suddenly got hit by a new feeling. My arms started to ache for her, desperately. The need to hug her completely overwhelmed me for a few seconds. I stood there, staring, while my fingers clamped the air several times. An energy ball escaped from my hands and flew across the room, lighting on its way an examination table. On the table laid a shirtless, drowned in tubes and surrounded by bleeping machines, Marcus.

"Oh", said Adam, brooding. "He's already captured. We failed."

"Not exactly", Bree corrected, "We still need to bring him home with us to take care of him."

"Bree is right", I confirmed to a confused Adam, "at least for the bringing home part."

She shot me a bad look and came closer to Marcus' body, caressing his cheek to wake him up. At least, the urge to embrace her had gone away.

**"Let's make this a little more complicated!" could really be a good title for this one. Told you it wouldn't be easy... But, hey, anything that's worth something is worth fighting for. And so fighting, there shall be.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Love is in the air

**Behold, chapter 5! Last chapter of the long week-end. Sorry if I update a little less often during the week. You know what helps? Reviews! :) Knowing people want, no****_ need_****, the next chapter, that's what makes the story worth writing! Also, I will try to let you know what I was listening to while writing. You can choose to listen to it while reading... or not! ;)  
****_Song: Radioactive - Imagine Dragons_**

Bree's POV

« I am not falling for Chase », I kept repeating myself while I observed Marcus seducing a bunch of 11th graders.

"My father had to travel away for work, but I missed the school too much, so I am living with the Davenports for now. Boy, it's nice to be back!", he was telling them with a radiant smile. They giggled. I rolled my eyes.

It had already been a week since we've rescued Marcus from the Russian lab. Davenport had been able to put him back together to his double-faced lying self quickly enough. Tasha had emphasized how, no matter what he had done in the past, he was still a kid. How our education system could save him from the evilness within. We were not to give up on him. Because he was family. The last argument had convinced us to let him go back to school… but not to trust him. Chase, Leo, Adam and I had reworked our schedule to make sure Marcus was under constant watch.

I barely had the time to hang out with them anymore, or with Owen for that matter. Though I had to admit I was kinda happy about the latter. It gave me time to sort my feelings for Chase. "Bree! Don't go there!", I scolded myself. "There's nothing to sort out because you do not have feelings for Chase". Because if I had… even with the family's understanding, where would that leave us? With the school? No, I just was not supposed to want Chase this way and that was all there would ever have to be said on the topic. We were a team of siblings, nothing more. And there would always be something, someone to remind me of that fact. A sister was the only thing I would ever be for Chase.

But I missed him… More than Leo or Adam. I had so many things to tell my best friend, with Marcus being imprisoned then rescued and living with us and all. I would feel better if we could just talk about this, about Tasha saying he was family, about what "family" meant for us in the first place. "Chase is avoiding you", I realized. We could have found time to be together if we both had wanted to. But since Russia, since that moment when he told me he knew, he… My vision became blurry as I began to crack. Who was I kidding? I couldn't even deal with the thought of him hating me. What if he had decided to never talk to me again? To just… move on?

I buried my face in my hands, suddenly assured of two things.

I was in love with my brother.

And I had to break up with Owen.

"Bree, can we talk?"

"What do you want, Marcus?", I asked harshly and a little upset he had been able to sneak up on me while he was under my watch. At the eloquent face he made with his eyebrow, I knew he must have known it too.

"I need your help, Bree. I get the probation thing and all…", he started and stopped when he saw me stand abruptly.

"On probation?", I shrieked, ignoring the concerned glances in the hallway. "You're a prisoner, Marcus. The plan was never to rescue you and nurse you until you become as good as… us".

"You want to learn about my dad's whereabouts.", he replied, flatly. "But Bree, what's the point of having a prisoner if you don't hear him out?"

I pretended to consider his idea for a while when I was actually actively engaged in finding a good comeback. I really needed an outlet for my frustration. Taking it out on Marcus seemed like a pretty good plan at the moment. After thirty seconds of silence, I had nothing.

"Fine", I said. "Speak".

"Bree, I know it will take time before you all can forgive me and trust me again. But you have to understand: my dad, he told me you ran away from him. He told me you'd left me behind. And then, we moved to town and I got into this school and I met you guys. And you all cared for each other and were so tight because of your so-called secret. But none of you seemed to remember me; and yet, you were so friendly and trusting. The friendlier you all got, the more it hurt, because I could not help thinking I could have been a part of it… if you had not abandoned my dad and me."

"You never gave us a chance. Never second-guessed your dad's tale. We never knew you existed. Yet, you chose to believe him.", I shot back, an uneasy feeling creeping up in my stomach. Marcus was very well alone in the world right now, not unlike I was without Chase around.

"I _chose_ to believe the only person on this planet who ever cared for me, who ever loved me.", he stated, with this ever disturbing even tone. I was not even sure whether he was still speaking to me or not.

"We loved you.", I said, voice rising again. "I… But you threw all of that love out through the window, Marcus, because, even when you believed you were human, you were acting like a freaking robot!"

He stared at me, puzzled.

"Good luck with that trust thing!", I yelled while I turned my back on him and started to walk away. I tapped Adam's hand on my way back to my locker.

"Your turn", I grumbled. "I have had enough of scared-of-love boys for one day!".

"What's her deal?", I heard Leo wonder out loud.

I increased my pace in response.

"So… here we are!", Owen announced, joyfully, obviously hopeful he might get a kiss on the doorstep for his good deed. I had asked him to walk me home, figuring it would be weird to break up with him at his place or mine and plain insensitive to do it in the school. But I had not found the courage to tell him yet and we were already in front of Davenport's house.

He leaned in slowly, letting me meet him half-way.

"Owen…"

He opened his eyes searching mine for an explanation. Puppy-face full on. I felt absolutely nothing. If I had to grade the guy, though I really didn't enjoy doing it, he would still be an 8, at least. Maybe a 7, on a bad day… But that would have just been the brain talking. For once, my heart was completely silent. And empty. I wondered if Chase had heard anything in the past days.

"We need to talk", I blurted out.

"I don't think we do, actually.", he sighed, hurt all over his face. "You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry." And I really was.

"I know. You've been pulling away since French class last week.", he added, methodically.

What was it with boys and their idiotic rationality all the time? This was about feelings.

"So you noticed."

"Bree, I notice everything about you.", he said again, a tremor in his voice. Maybe I had misjudged him. I decided he deserved a little more. Perhaps I could give him closure:

"It's not you. It's…"

" "Me?" Is that what you are about to say? Please don't."

"I meant… Very soon, a special girl will be very lucky to have you. You are a great guy. And a really thoughtful boyfriend. But there is someo…"

"It's Marcus, isn't it?"

"WHAT?", I laughed in disbelief.

"It makes sense", he explained sheepishly. "You've been distant since he came back. You spent half of your time staring at him intensely and the other time, ignoring him. Also", he admitted, "I heard about your outburst at lunch today."

Wow. Didn't see that one coming. But if it made sense to Owen, made things easier for him, that still was a lot better than the truth. I would have time to think about my so-called crush on Marcus later.

"I'm sorry", I said again, not confirming nor denying his idea.

"Well, I hope you will find each other", he said and walked backwards in our alley. "Bree deserves to be happy…", he said again and then shot me a last look, smiled and with his thumb up, added:

"Parce que Bree est extraordinaire".

The gesture was my undoing. I rushed inside the house to the lab so he would not hear me sob. No need to confuse the brave guy even more. The doors of the elevator opened on a familiar scene. Chase was working on the computer, with his half- focused half-content smirk; Leo sat on Davenport's chair, feet propped on the desk and read comics; Adam was nowhere to be found. Probably with Marcus somewhere. I had just broken a nice guy's heart and the earth just kept going, unaware of the tragedy that had just unfolded on my doorstep. I fought the tears but let out a small cry at the unfairness of the situation. Nobody was happy.

In a second, Chase was by my side, taking my hand, steadying me as he walked me towards the center of our room.  
"What happened?", he asked.

"It's obvious!", Leo replied without looking up, "She broke up with Owen!".

I was about to tell Leo that he could shove his… but Chase wrapped his arms around me, rocking me slowly back and forth, whispering words in my ear I could not make out, and my anger melted away. Chase was… "we" were back. And it's all that mattered for now. This was probably the best hug of my life. I let my pain and guilt disappear in Chase's warm embrace, his scent a sweet mix of pine forest after rain and lemon, with a hint of vanilla. Did he smell like that naturally?  
Leo coughed. I glanced at him with what I hoped was a mean look and…

"Chase! Put me down."

The boy I was in love with put his hands on my shoulders and looked at me, a quizzing look on his face.

"We're levitating. Put. Me. Down.", I insisted, suddenly uncomfortable with Leo witnessing the display of affection. What was I thinking? Me being done with Owen did not change anything. I should and would never act on my feelings for my baby brother.

We fell on the floor more than we landed, which was okay, because we had been only a couple of feet in the air.

"Aow! Careful, bozo!", I told Chase, wishing I could escape the embarrassing moment.

But Chase collapsed on the ground, unconscious…

**Cliff-hanger. I usually try to avoid those... But rest assured, the next chapter is on its way!  
So...do you think Marcus is really trying to become a good guy? Did you feel sorry for Owen? I try to describe them as good, because I don't want Bree's choice to be too obvious. What do you think?**


	6. Chapter 6 - Sick Boy Love Part I

**Sorry to update this late. Hopefully this chapter will shed some light on Chase's confused mind.** **Or not... This chapter was actually really long so I broke it in two parts. Part II still needs some proofreading, so I'll probably update in the afternoon. Sick!Chase.  
**_Alleluiah - Jeff Buckley_

Chase's POV

I woke up in Leo's bed, carefully tucked in. A glass of water awaited me on the night table. I moved my arm to grab it. I was so thirsty my throat hurt. Pain shot behind my eyes. I let my hand fall back on the comforter. I must have whimpered because Tasha entered the room right away to hand me the glass. I tried to pass my thanks through my eyes. She smiled and pressed her palm on my forehead, then removed it quickly. My eyelids felt heavy. I blinked. Somewhere around the door, Adam's voice resonated in my head:  
"I was wrong. He can look smaller."

Darkness enveloped my mind again.

The next days were a blur. I almost never woke up alone, but I could never stay awake more than a few minutes at a time. Dreams and reality mingled as I alternated between extreme heat and biting sensation of cold. Words echoed through my brain affecting the quality of my sleep.

"Maybe he would sleep better in his tube."

"Donald, you are not putting a sick child in a tube."

"I don't know what to do, Tasha… He never got sick before."

One full night passed.

"Mom is letting me sleep on the couch. I watch TV all night, this is so… I mean, that is what I would do if I was not focusing so much on school." Tasha had probably passed by the room at the very moment. Sounded like Leo was in for a lot of trouble.

Another full day passed.

"What's wrong with him, Big D.?"

"I have a theory but I cannot confirm it unless he feels better. The examination of this chip would put too much of a strain of him."

"_If _he feels better?"

"I'm still… here", I painfully articulated in a hoarse voice.

All I got in reply was pitiful looks.

Another night. Or was it a day?

"You said this has never happened before? To any of you?". Marcus.

"No. Though Chase activates the Snot Canon when he sneezes. I always thought it was funny. Before".

"Adam, I need you to remember. This is very important. What is the longest time you've ever used your Bionics without a break?"

"Don't tell him", I thought, "Do not tell him anything", but exhaustion pulled me under before I could hear Adam's answer.

Bree never visited. If she did, she never spoke. I thought I saw a shape once dashing through the exit, but it might as well have been the fever.

On the 4th day or so I was told, I started to feel a lot better. Enough to stay awake for a few hours and for Davenport to finally take a look at my chip. When he came back with the results, the whole family gathered in the small room. Leo was sitting on the comforter, facing me. Bree sat behind him, avoiding my gaze. Marcus stood at the end of the bed and not too far, Adam was leaning against the wall. Dad took the place that was rightfully his by the Leo's desk but Tasha waited by the door. She had been the best nurse to treat the symptoms but when it came down to Bionics, she would leave the rest to her husband.

"The logs in Chase's chip confirm that he has been overusing his Bionics. Without proper training, his brain could not stand the activity. You did not catch a cold, Chase, you have been careless. What were you thinking, leaving your super-hearing on, 24/7?"

Bree blushed. By force of habit, I tried to listen to her heartbeat once more. A white light momentarily blinded my vision. I winced in pain.

"You'd better answer me, boy! Did you abuse your powers?"

"Maybe", Tasha proposed, "this misuse has something to do with the glitches Bree reported."

"But we already looked into it", Leo said with a fairly good impression of Dad's inventor voice, "we could not find anything wrong with Chase."

The atmosphere got a little lighter for a while… Until Tasha, stepping forward, formulated a second opinion:

"What if it is not a bionic problem? What if the glitches are caused by … puberty?"

"WHAT?", Leo, Adam and Bree shouted.

Bree's voice somehow gave me enough energy to sit in the bed. Under the comforter, my fingers reached for hers, which were restless over the covers. She pulled her hand away.

"But I am older than Bree and Chase, and I do not have all these problems", Adam countered.

"Because your skills, and Bree's, rely mostly on your physiognomy. Like athletes, you need training. A lot of training. A lot, lot, lot…"  
"We got it", Bree said. Three full words in days. Not the one a guy was hoping to hear after having spent four days out of it, but, hey, I wasn't complaining.

"Chase's bionics are related to his brain. So if he happens to be… distracted, he can lose control easily. When I was a teenager, my hormones were driving me cr…"

"Ew!", we all complained.

"And I haaaaave pictures!", Eddy added, his icon showing up on the tablet on the wall.

"What I meant", Dad continued, struggling to keep the room calm, "is that your bionics, Chase, are directly affected by your emotions, but not your siblings'."

"Bree affects my bionics, alright!", I said and high-fived Adam.

I probably would not have dared to say this without the fever. Still, I intended it as a joke, to lighten the mood, just some witty comeback to annoy my sister, really. I also hoped she would get the real meaning between the lines. So what happened next constituted a double failure.

"It is NOT funny!", she snapped, "we still have not learned ANYTHING about Douglas' plan. Marcus has been as helpful as Eddy on his worst days. Chase is glitching all over the place and is barely waking up from a self-induced coma. And WE, the Davenport so-called super-heroes, are making JOKES."

And with that, she proceeded to storm out of the room. But that was not going to happen.

"Eddy, close the door!", I ordered. The door shut instantly, trapping us all inside.

"And that's all helpful I can be, if you get on my bad side", Eddy snarled.

We all ignored him.

"Bree, I'm fine. I'm here.", I repeated softly. "I am going to be alright."

I do not know how long I kept on with my litany of reassuring words, but by the time I stopped, my throat felt sore again and Bree's heart beat at a normal pace. I finally gazed around the room: it seemed everyone had bought our "concerned siblings" act. I sighed, reassured.

Then Marcus' mouth stretched into a mischievous smile and I just knew he had been listening, too.

**So these chapters are getting bigger... like Chase's problems.  
Don't hate on Marcus just now! He's not the nicest boy, but he's a good guy at heart.**


	7. Chapter 6 - Sick Boy Love Part II

**"Sick Boy Love" Part II. Nothing to add, really. You might wonder why what follows is important. Let's just say... It is. Also, I wanted Leo to play a part in this story, even a small one.**  
_Everything will be alright - The Killers_

Chase's POV

"So.", Leo said and he smashed his plate on the table so loudly than he drew attention of half the cafeteria directly towards him. He pretended to ignore it, especially since quite a few green peas had flown off the dish in every direction possible. He sat and waved his fork at me:

"Let's talk, brother."

I stared at the mess he had made in his attempt to prove a point I was not fully certain I was getting. Bree had managed to avoid me all morning. Again. It had been three days since I had started to go back to school, a whole week since the … incident. And we had barely exchanged a word. Sure she would pass me the salt at dinner when I had asked; once, I think, she even replied to my "good night", but she might as well have wished it to anyone in the house…

"Stop brooding and talk to me, dude!", Leo tried again.

I mean, sure, I had started the chasing game first. The Chase game. I felt a bitter smile pass on my lips. But I was just giving her time to sort things out. It was her heart. How crazy was it to assume that what I could hear she could feel, too? But no, not Bree. She just walked around with her heart pumping like she had just run a marathon, which, ok, she had probably just done, but off topic, and remained completely clueless. So after she made me, almost, declare myself, I thought she needed time and then, she would come back.

Learning about her and Owen breaking up, that had been the happiest day of my life. Like something I always had missed without knowing was finally sliding into place. Like all my hidden abilities had been unlocked and pure power was just rushing into every cell of my being. Like I had reached my ultimate purpose in this life. Love Bree and be loved. And now…

Leo threw his apple at me, completing the disastrous exhibit he had made of his lunch.

"Fine, I'll start", he said, nostrils flared, then he mimicked me like he had done Davenport an eternity ago: "You see, my dearest and bestest of friends Leo, my glitches have nothing to do with puberty. But I am smarter than anyone else, so I can make jokes that nobody understands and then nobody is laughing. That's how smart I am. So, so smart that my dearest and bestest of friends Leo does not notice that I have not been speaking to Bree for almost two weeks, now; like he hasn't picked on the fact that every time I "glitch", I am staring at her with an idiotic face."

"Alright, alright, there is something between Bree and… No, there isn't. I am in love with her." I shrugged.

"THANK YOU", he emphasized, getting annoyed looks from the students again. "Now we can talk."

"Am I that obvious?", I asked, a little concerned.

"Dude, does it ever occur to you that being me, I know everything there is to know about teenagers, as much as Davenport dares to tell about bionics, and roughly more about you three than anybody else? I am kind of an expert, really", he bragged.

I smiled. An actual smile. I thanked him in my thoughts for this.

"And Bree and I had an interesting conversation after you fainted.", he added.

"Really?"

"Don't try, I'm not sharing."

"You can't keep a secret to save a life, Leo."

He grinned, as if he had tried and failed to shake a bad thought off.

"What about that one time where Marcus was evil and had powers, but made me swear to keep it a secret? Oh, and when, I discovered you three sleeping in my basement and that you ALL had powers but nobody could know? Wait, and there is also the moment I found out you were crushing on…"

"Ok, I apologize. You absolutely can keep a secret."

"And?"

"And you're an expert on us."

"And?"

"And you're my dearest and … bestest of friends, whatever that means."

"You're damn right I am."

"Now, spill the beans! And I am not talking about the food."

He laughed whole-heartedly. I joined him for a little while, but he stood up and took his plate.

"Chase, she's been your sister for 15 years. She deserves a little more than two weeks, don't you think?"

"What do you think?", I finally found the courage to ask. "Do you think it's sick?"

"Man, for the smartest kid on earth, you can be thick!", he chuckled. "I have your back. If she is what your heart wants, the only words you'll ever hear from me are "Go for it". Ok?"

"Okay"

The little brat had actually managed to cheer me up. And to receive his validation had helped, too. Until I had uttered the question out loud, I had been running away from the guilt. Somewhere, a deep part of me, despite the profound happiness Bree's … feelings for me were causing me, had been chanting, much like a mantra, how wrong my love was, how sick I was, how only bad this would all end. Now there was hope, because I understood that the Chase game had been my way of coping with this. Staying away from Bree had been my answer to stay away from the feeling of impurity I was now freed of. Maybe Leo was right, maybe she would break free, too.

The thought got me through the afternoon. To the very moment where I would be appeased enough for Marcus to wreck it all.

"So.", he said with a smirk, "Let's talk, brother."

The hallway was empty. The students had deserted the school right after the bell had rung.

"What are you not eavesdropping, those days, Marcus, with those giants ears of yours?", I replied, barely hiding the discomfort that was now eating at me.

"Must be running in the family, too", as he slowly walked my way.

"Listen. Please hold your tongue. Bree's going through a very dif… Wait? "Too?"."

He put his hand on my shoulder, but he must have been pressing way too hard because my whole body tensed under the pain. A normal human would probably have gotten his shoulder broken from the pressure. Marcus had dropped the act. Or maybe… maybe he was still playing another role. It was always hard to tell with him. There was something intense about the way he stood and looked at me at the moment that very much appeared real. Especially because he looked a little overwhelmed.

"Marcus…", I warned, shaking my shoulders. He slightly released his hold.

"There is no need to fight, Chase. We want the same thing."

"Bree", I whispered.  
"No", he replied, the smirk right back under my nose. Well, his. "We want Bree's happiness."

"And how do you propose we help her finding it?", I shot back. "By letting her decide…"

"Not exactly"

For the first time since the beginning of this unnerving discussion, I wondered what Marcus had in mind. Might be worth paying attention. He was probably conscious of my sudden awareness because he added:

"Chase, she's miserable."

"What?"

"You're right. I have been eavesdropping around the house. I guess I was just trying to fit in, see what you guys were made of. As a family."

The logical approach. I couldn't help but recognize some value in that sort of thinking.

"I overheard her confession to Leo"

"You did", I managed to get out, unsure, tone between a statement and an interrogation.

He just tilted his head to the right. I knew this move. That is how I activated a recording when I wanted to play it out loud.

"He… he just… he is always there", Bree cried. "I cannot escape him, cannot avoid him, cannot ignore him. He is everywhere. And now I broke with Owen and he just… we just…"

She sounded miserable, even worse than when I had hugged her, a few minutes before the recording, I guessed.

"Shhh, Bree, it's okay.", Leo's voice replied, soothing. "Everything will be alright."

"I can't breathe… I'm suffocating on him. If he doesn't let go, I'll go crazy, Leo."

"Crazier?", he suggested.

He got a muffled sound in answer, some mix between a laugh and a sob. Marcus stopped the recording.

"Chase, she's miserable", he repeated.

There was no hope, then. No helping our situation.

"I'll do anything.", I whispered, still in shock by the unbearable hurt in…my… sister's voice.

Now calling her my sister sounded weird. I repeated the words in my head a few times, let the acceptation sink in.

Marcus finally let go of me:

"We, brother, are getting Bree and Owen back together."

**WHAT? Don't worry, Brasers. Marcus and I have a plan. Not sure it is the same, though. ;-)  
Next post hopefully by tomorrow. We'll be going into Marcus' head. Should be interesting. What do you think? Do you still want to hear the end of the story? Please give me reviews!**


	8. Chapter 7 - Boys will be boys Part I

**Wow, peeps! Can you believe that? Those chapters keep getting longer. Still a lot to say about our Lab Rats! A small dialog between Chase and Bree in this chapter: it had been far too long. Marcus' plan is partly revealed (yes, it gets worse).** **Hope you enjoy reading as I much as I had fun writing.**  
_Music: Hurry Up and Save Me - Tiffany Giardina_

Marcus's POV

She was not trying to be discrete about it at all. I think it was one of the things that first drew me to her, the way she was smart enough not to play mind games. Especially, well, with me. But the same applied to everybody else she hung out with. Straight-forward, perfectly honest Bree.

At the moment, I was really appreciative of this virtue of her, since it allowed me to make sure I did not lose her, without having to be so obvious about it.

_"Owen and Bree? Together?", he asked, obviously taken aback._

_"Yes, Chase. Let her move on", I replied, enjoying his astonishment way more than I should. "And I have a plan"._

_"Of course you do." I deserved that one. I raised my eyebrow anyway to remind him who was in charge._

_"It is simple, really. You should be able to follow."_

I turned left and slowed my pace a bit. During the few seconds I was hidden by the corner, I pulled out my phone, texted Chase. Three letters. We were still a few minutes away from the festival, but I wanted him to be ready. I had seen of how these guys were handling missions. For this particular one, timing was of the essence.

_"We set them up on a date. But first, we need something from you.", I started to explain. He fell immediately silent, eyes half-closed in concentration, already in top student mode. Whatever._

_"First, you need to push her away. Just talk to her. Be your usual self, the one before the mission in Paris."  
"You also know about that?", he wondered out loud._

_I just grinned. Chase was so many steps behind. They all were. The way they prioritized things made them both endearing and sometimes, really, really, frustrating to be around to._

_"She avoids me, genius", he commented, but sounded like he knew I would have an answer for that, too. He _was _learning fast._

_"And that is why you are not meeting her in school or at home. You, my brother, are going to the Long Beach Spring Fair. I will make sure Bree meet you there."_

_"And how are you going to achieve that? You and Bree, not exactly best of friends, either, man."_

_He had started to relax, the planning distracting him from his never-ending doubts about me. I pleaded guilty. I repented. Like, for real. Now was a good time for them to forgive and forget. They are the good guys, so it is written on their honor code or something. I mean… our honor code._

_"You guys still have a schedule to check up on me?", I asked Chase. He nodded. "Problem solved. This Saturday, I'll go to Long Beach. And she will volunteer to tailgate me."_

_He nodded, a sadness in the eye. I just could not resist emphasizing:  
"Because you know, she would do anything to get away from the house these days, with you and all…"_

"Bree?"

Chase was not so bad at acting, I thought. He really did look surprised when he appeared from behind a booth and stumbled upon her. I glanced at them one last time and slowly proceeded to get out of Bree's point of view, all the while listening closely to their conversation.

"Ch-Chase? What are you doing here?", she squeaked.

"Hey, Princess!", he greeted. On his face was beaming the confident smile he had been wearing the first I had met him all these months ago. A really good actor, indeed. I wondered if this had something to do with our shared Bionics, but saved the theory to examine later.

"I did not know you were going to the Fair", he said.

"I was following Marcus".

From my post of observation, a few feet away, I waved like a moron for a few seconds, just long enough so that they would turn to face each other again.

"So… it's been a while! You've been running around like crazy and I barely saw you those past two weeks", he teased.

"You know me", she stuttered, waving her hands in confusion. She looked so lost she was starting to look really cute.

"That's just the thing, Bree. I don't know where you have been, but it has been so long I feel like I barely know you anymore. Let's see…", he joked, "do you still have the Bieber fever?"  
"Shut up, nerd!", she giggled and punched his shoulder.

He got her, I thought. And I started running in the other direction…

_"And how do we bring Owen in this picture?"_

_It was clear by now that Chase has his mind completely occupied by the plan._

_"Bree will have texted him to come. Because she will need to talk, or something"_, _I prompted._

_"But she doesn't… Oh!"_

_"That's when you let her go, Chase! You hear me? At the second she sees him, you have to get out of the way. Graciously!"_

_"I'm always gracious."_

_I eyebrowed him for good measure. He frowned._

I quickly approached an ice-cream truck and ordered one cone. I observed Owen enter the perimeter and scoot for Bree while I paid. I opened my treat carefully and started to follow the target. The meeting point I had given him through Bree's phone was close to the place I had set up for Bree's and Chase's fortunate encounter. Close enough for me to eavesdrop on them, far enough for Owen to get impatient and start looking for her.

"…haven't really been myself either", Chase was saying in his serious teacher tone, "but that's okay, because the glitches are gone. The illness is gone. The crazy is… No more crazy, ok?"

"But Chase…", she resisted. It made sense that she would and I had also prepped my brother for this eventuality.

"I know you might have been under the impression that it was… something more… intense", he cut her off. "But you and I, Bree, come on, that would have never worked."

And he actually managed to laugh. Gotta admit, I was impressed. Bree cringed and then…

"Where is Marcus?"

Chase looked around, panicked. None of them could see me through the crowd.

"It's fine, Bree", Chase tried.

"He ran off!", she shouted, but I heard there some of their old brother-sister dynamic. The plan was still working.

"No", Chase shot back, "Marcus, he… he went for Owen and…"

"OWEN?"

And that is when he heard her.

When he waved at her.

When she saw him.

And behind him, me.

With the most evil look I could put on my face.

_"Having them stand together in the middle of a Fair won't do any good. We need to push it one step further."_

_"YES!", I said, triumphant. "You are actually starting to think like an evil genius, Chasey. Beware!"_

_"Don't call me Chasey!", he whined. But he was proud. I am sure of it._

_"What do you all Davenports in common?"_

_"We are all super cool", he proposed, smug, "though, that would not apply to Davenport."_

_"It would really only apply to Bree and Adam. Care to try again?"_

_"I don't…"_

_"You have a super-hero complex. You, Bree, Adam, your dad, even Leo. You're not happy unless you are saving someone. And that makes you special."_

_"We would be happy without that", he commented, so calmly that I actually believed him._

_"But you are special. And you want to save the world because you care."_

_"So if Bree thinks she is saving Owen…"_

_"… She might start to care about him again!", I concluded, refusing to let him steal all the glory for my scheme._

"MARCUS!", she yelled.

I just saw half of Owen's face when he searched around for me. Priceless. Bree ran towards us… surprisingly slowly for someone with her talents and stopped in front of Owen, Chase right behind her. I managed to arrive at Owen's spot right when they did, still ostentatiously licking my ice-cream.

_There was one fact that Chase did not know. One simple guess my super-hearing had picked up at the time and put somewhere safe for later use. One stupid idea that would change the outcome of the whole scene. Bree could figure it out, if Chase were not busy perturbing her with his weird break-up of some sort…_

…She hadn't. Now things would follow their course. The one I had set for them.

"Marcus"

Owen kept his tone neutral. Yes, everything was going according to plan. A huge smile appeared on my face.

"So you guys are dating now", he added, glancing at Bree and me. "You guys have my bles…"

"WHAT?", Bree and Chase interrupted, suddenly looking like an harmonious couple. Or twins.

Chase turned to Bree, interrogation and disgust all over his face. Bree turned to Owen, about to set everything right, and realized from his body language that he had made his mind. Denying would only bring more drama. She turned to Chase. Googly eyes and gaping mouth were definitely not his best features. Aside from the fact that his behavior had just erased the great speech he had just fed her. Here they were, right where they were yesterday. In a public place. Under the sunlight. The Chase game was definitely over. My chess game was, too.

My hand freed the cone who crashed down right on Owen's shoe. That part, I had not anticipated, but even better. Chase's and Owen's gazes naturally followed the fall, just for a second. And by the time, they looked up, Bree was out of sight. We barely felt the blow of the wind as she dashed away.

"Bree!", Chase called, now drawing attention on him.

Seemed like a good time for me, too, to take the French leave.

I quickly caught up with the girl and we silently super-speeded side by side, unable to outrace each other. Now the real date could begin…

**That was a low blow, even for M. But hey, everything's fair in love and war. Just gotta choose which one it is. Next chapter is still Marcus' POV (yay!). Some new bionics will be discovered...  
Please review/favorite my story if you like it. One word from you keeps me writing one thousand and some the next day! ;)**


	9. Chapter 7 - Boys will be boys Part II

**Hey folks! Sorry I did not update for two days. *Bad Dobby, Bad Dobby* So here's today's chapter. To make up for lost time, another chapter is coming up by the end of the day, promise. So, believe it or not, I had this chapter in my mind before I even wrote chapter 1. Going to this moment was sort of always my goal: you could say we reached the turning point of this story. You know how they say it has to get worse before it gets better? The "worst" part is on its way.  
**_Music: Stubborn Love - The Lumineers_

Marcus's POV

After a while, we silently circled back to Long Beach. There was no place we could stop or slow down, or people would see us. I don't think either of us wanted to anyway. Bree ran fiercely, as if she was leaving everything behind. Traveling at the same speed, I could see how truly beautiful she was. Knowing that what I was probably the only human, well, android, on the planet who could see her like that filled me with excitement. Her flushed cheeks were the only make-up she needed right now. The natural pink of her perfect lips, slightly apart to catch her breath, contrasted with the soft shining gold of her skin. With her hair floating upon her shoulders and her brown eyes set on the horizon, she looked like a painting…

She glanced at me. Self-awareness flooded my veins. I cannot tell what she saw but she unclenched her teeth:  
"Get a clue, Marcus. And get lost!"

Fair enough.

"I kinda feel like being alone right now", she completed and sharply turned her face in my direction.

Watery eyes. Stunning. She raised an eyebrow as a corner of her mouth twisted into a smirk. How many seconds had passed before I put my thoughts together?

"You should have said so twenty minutes ago", I said. She rolled her eyes. "Can't do that on the beach or in a festival. Come with me?". I presented my hand to her, still running.

She considered it doubtfully, with a hint of despise. Right.

"I have Chase's super-senses, so I know where you are going when you use you super-speed. And I can keep up, obviously. But if you don't take my hand, I will leave you behind."

She grabbed two of my fingers. And I directed her directly towards the sea. She screamed, of course, but that was half of the fun. An infinitely small half, compared to her expression of awe and genuine joy when she found out that our speed allowed us to stay on the surface.

"Marcus, we are walking on the sea", she giggled.

"Yes, we are, Cupcake", I replied, "and there's more."

She looked at me, intrigued, while I slowed our pace and let the water slowly surround us. She gasped ; my heart skipped a beat. Soon only our heads were above the water.

"Do you trust me?", I asked.

"Absolutely not", she laughed and let go of my hand.

"Well… that's too bad", I threatened and jumped at her with my best battle cry. She screamed as I put my hands on her shoulders and pushed her under the water. I opened my eyelids under the water and adjusted my vision. Bree was still, mouth and eyes closed, trying not to let the salty water in. With a shy smile on her lips and her brown hair floating around her face, she very much could have been a mermaid. I was starting to wonder if there was ever a time when Chase's sister was not pretty.

_"Bree…"_

She opened her mouth when she heard me speaking with such clarity. By reflex, she automatically brought her hands to her throat, already persuaded she was going to choke. I gave her a few seconds. When she realized we could breathe under water as well, she tried to speak:  
"Whbly cabln blI heablr byou fblinebl?"

_"Well, you know how you can imitate voices, right?"_

"Blyes!"  
_"It is kind of the same principle. These sounds… you just do not hear them the same way you hear the others. I think even Chase cannot."_

"Blultrbla…" _"Ultrasounds?"_, she guessed.

I nodded vigorously.

_"I think it is supposed to help for submarine vision. Apparently, our chips can emit and decode them"_, I explained. _"Our own secret language, sort of"_, and I threw my most underwater disarming smile, which, believe it or not, required at least four good hours of practice.

A careful grin played on her face. Good enough. I waved at her to follow me and we both swam deeper in the ocean, soon to be surrounded by aquatic life. Bree kept pointing at things and making excited sounds every time she spotted a new fish. The plan was still on rails. I repeated the steps in my mind, immensely satisfied of how well everything had worked out.

First: Eliminate. Chase and Owen would not show their faces in front of Bree for a while. And okay, it was bad to have used them the way I did. But, frankly, neither of them could accuse me of having set this one up. I would just have to play dumb when Chase'd ask if I knew Owen thought Bree and I were together.

Second: Isolate. Well, couldn't do any better than that. The location mattered, but mostly, Bree and I now shared something nobody else could.

Three: Amaze. Bree was following a turtle who was quickly moving out of her way. Yep, done and done!

Four: Share… Right!

_"You had not discovered this Bionic yet, right?"_, I started.

_"No. It's not an easy one to find. For a few seconds before, I really thought I was gonna die. Davenport would not let us go on a mission underwater without proper gear. And… yeah"_

And Chase would go ballistic, was what she had wanted to say. Somehow, even with nobody around, he was still between us.

_"Do you think it is a good thing?"_, I prompted again. _"That Davenport protects you so much you still do not know the extent of your powers?"_

_"Of course"_, she replied automatically, _"I am an android, which means I am human. I want to be treated like a person… like an impossibly dramatic teenager"_. She giggled.

_"My dad… Douglas, he insisted that I hone my skills as fast I could. Of course, I didn't know what I was back then, so some things he was asking me to do sounded impossible. "_

She looked at me intently, inviting me share more. The memories all came back at once.

"Marcus, you are four years old now. You should be able to swim with your head under water now."

"But, daddy, t'is scawy."

Daddy grabs my shoulders. He pushes my head towards the water. I don't think I like bath time anymore. Daddy used to be nice and funny. It is five days now that I do not like bath time. And seven days is a week.

"Marcus. It is the same thing that happened with dinner. For ten days, you said you could not jump high enough to grab it. And now, you catch it on the first time almost every night."

I do not like the game with the dinner, too. It makes my tummy hurt because of the hunger.

"One more time, buddy!", he says and smiles.

And it gives me courage, so I put my head under the water to make dad happy. I try and try to stay longer but then my chest hurts. I want to stop and I want to tell daddy, but you cannot speak with your mouth and nose under the water. I am so scared I want to cry, but daddy holds longer.

Then he pulls me out. I try not to cry, he gets angry when I cry.

_"I didn't know"_, Bree said, and even with ultrasounds, she sounds like she is whispering.

_"I do not want your pity"_, I warned her, suddenly feeling defensive.

Sea water invaded my lungs. The salt burned my throat. I choked and started thrashing, goggle-eyed. In a matter of seconds, Bree swam by my side and caught me by my waist. She then proceeded into gaining enough speed to bring both of us to the surface.

"Bree! I can't… breathe", I whined, pathetically.

"Hang in there! We will be on land in no time", she commanded, finding the direction to the beach in no time.

It seemed like it took us forever to reach the sand, even though I knew that Bree was running faster than she had ever been. I was not even sure I could have kept up with her at that speed.

"Bree!", I called.

"Don't talk until you can lie down! We're almost there, Marcus!"

I was not used to having my body betraying me. Weakness and shame fought for my attention in my mind. I was just so tired, so ready to give up everything to be able to close my eyes and sleep. I could barely keep my head up. I opened my eyes again when I felt the warm sand over my back. Bree sat next to me, her hair still wet and dropping salty water on my forehead. Or were those tears?

"Bree… Don't tell… the others… about my dad", I begged between two spits of water.

She just nodded and removed a lock of my hair from my eye.

"What happened?", I asked, a little distracted.

"Well, someone glitched", she said in a provocative tone.

"I don't have glitches", I shot back, attempting to smirk and ending up coughing badly.

She laughed: "Sure, you don't".

And I didn't. But I sure knew how to fake them.

**Hope you guys still like Marcus... He has his own particular ways of doing things, but so far, I am not entirely convinced he is evil. What do you think? We're back to Bree's POV in next chapter. There's a mission, a party and a new character coming up soon.**


	10. Chapter 8 - Back-ups

**Yes, brasers! This is ****_still_**** a Brase story. We are just taking the long way there, but do not worry: we are getting there. And I will finish this story in a few more chapters. Be patient! :)** **We are back to Bree in this chapter and back to the mission. Also, we meet a character that I was not sure I wanted to introduce this early. Tell me think what you think about it!  
**_Music: You're a Wolf - Sea Wolf_

Bree's POV

Honestly, I did not know who I was the most afraid of: Leo or Chase. I mean, sure, Chase had been somewhat irrational lastly; but I believed him when he had said he was trying to move on. And he always had been highly logical about mission tactics. He could not miss to see how our strategy was for the best. Leo would be much much harder to convince.

"So, what's the big deal, Big D.?", said-Leo asked.

"Guys, I know Marcus living with us has required some… adjustments. But my genial plan, as usual, is working. One of Marcus' old contacts tried to get in touch with him yesterday. Marcus played along and they agreed to meet and discuss the last phase of Doug's plan. You're leaving for South America!"

"Me too?", Leo shouted, all excited.

"No!", Davenport replied. "Adam, Bree and Marcus."

Followed ten seconds of really awkward silence, before Chase finally took the bait and said in a flat tone:

"What?"

He had been sitting on the lab's counter for most part of the afternoon, sulking, and not talking to anyone. It was almost surprising to hear him speak out loud now. I decided he should hear it from me.

"Chase", I started, but he did not turn his head in my direction, "Marcus has to come with us. He knows the place, our contact, and he might help pick up clues we would miss by ourselves."

"I understand why he has to come", he replied.

"I still don't", Leo added.

"Where I am not following", Chase continued as if he had never been interrupted, "is why I am not going."

He had clenched his hands into knuckles and he grinded his teeth between each sentences. His breath was accelerated. I wanted so much to hold him against me right now and tell him that everything would be okay, that he could never be replaced. I breathed in loudly, but no one thought much of it, since the situation was probably equally upsetting for all our family. I observed Chase intently, worried that he might pick up my turmoil through my heartbeat, but he seemed to keep his promise not to listen, so I let myself fall all over in love with him freely. To feel again the ache of having his whole attention just for me, of brushing his fingers almost inadvertently, of kissing away his tears and to finally be entitled to have all these feelings for myself felt both exhilarating and unbelievably sad.

"Chase, you are still not suited for field missions", Davenport explained. "You had a panic attack last week in the middle of a Fair. Tasha had to give you a lift to go home."

"Am I the only one here who sees how wrong this is?", Leo shouted, in a very different way he had earlier. "So, now, we trust Marcus? After everything he has done to us? To me?"

"Leo…"

But Leo ignored his stepdad and exited the lab as loudly as he could. Chase watched him go and then spoke again, still doing a good job at hiding his tension:

"He has a point."

"We thought about that", Davenport answered. Too fast. "I will deactivate his chip so he will not be able to use his bionics while he will be away. Besides, we now know that Marcus has his own reasons to be wanting to stop his dad."

As I expected, Chase got more information from that sentence that our tutor had wanted him to.

"You discussed this before now?", he stated, beginning to crack.

"You can still be our annoying little leader from here, remotely", Adam proposed with a smile, at the worst possible moment.

Chase sighed. A long, depressing sigh. He slid of the counter and proceeded to follow Leo, at a desperately slow pace, like we had sucked all the energy out of his body.

"I don't think I can, Adam. Leadership only works if the trust goes both ways."

"Chase, I understand you feel betrayed. But we have to figure out Marcus' dad's plan before it is too late. And you…", I tried again.

"And I'm a liability."

The "because I love you" hung in the air, between us, for a couple of seconds. He quickly turned away, but kept on:

"Betrayed? You are going up against our nemesis and you expect me to stay in the lab and watch you. Bree, if something happens to you or Adam, and I cannot do anything about it because _you all _decided it was better for me to _watch_, how I am supposed to live with that?"

He left the lab. When the doors of the elevator hid his back from our view, I found myself wishing he had kept on tuning to my heart. At least, he would have known how much we… how much I cared for him. I played in my mind with the possibility of running after him, but what good would that be for us? "We" could still never be. And if Chase was trying to move on, I owed him to try and do the same.

"Can you see him?", Adam whispered above my shoulder.

"No, he followed her in the room", I whispered back.

"Can you hear them?", he asked again.

"No. The walls are too thick. I wish…"

"I know. Me too."

Marcus had had us following him closely since we had entered the facility. But he had also warned us to stay out of sight. However, he had conveniently forgotten to mention that his contact was a stunning red head with green cat's eyes. From the way she had acted around him, it had looked like they had known each other for quite a long time and that she was about our age. An unpleasant tingle was creeping up my cheeks.

The door opened again and Marcus' head appeared behind it. With his hand, he signaled us to join him.

"Could be a trap", Adam said.

"We're stronger and faster than anyone that could be in this room", I said to cheer him up.

Chase's absence was really starting to take its toll.

The room Marcus greeted us into turned out to be an austere meeting room. Grey walls, marble table, leather black chairs and creepy neon lights. The red head presided the table, though it was clear from the position of her arms and legs that she was tied to her chair.

"Bree, Adam", Marcus announced with his usual cocky tone, "meet my contact and good friend Lydia. Lydia, allow me the pleasure to introduce to you my brother and sister."

"Where is the third one?", she spat, throwing for good measure a venomous look at Marcus.

"He's shy", Marcus spat back, then faced us. "Sorry it took me some time. It was a little hard to take care of her without the usual."

"So you found out about your powers?", Lydia questioned him, now obviously pleased to take the advantage. Marcus simply went to her and tied the knots around her hands harder. Her smile faded.

"Are you our sister, too?", Adam wondered.

"Hell, no!", she replied and laughed. "I was raised by a normal family; I don't have to put up with all that crazy"

"So you chose to be evil?", he wondered again, and for the second time, her smile vanished.

"I can see what you see in them", she engaged Marcus in a casual tone. "They are just so full… of good feelings. It is nice for a change."

"You have no idea", he admitted. It really felt like they were catching up. And it was obvious that they had been really close some time ago. The whole thing was getting on my nerves.

"Enough small talk!", I spoke up, finally taking the lead. "Why did you contact Marcus? What are we doing here? What is Doug's last phase? You've made it clear that you were glad not too have any bionics? Good for you! Now let's see how long you can hold your breath under water!"

She exchanged with Marcus a knowing glance. I got furious. In a second, I had my two hands pressing on her arms, my face really close to hers.

"Speak!", I muttered.

She kicked me with her head.

"Well, someone's temper hasn't improved", Marcus chuckled.

"Try to be polite while you are tied to a chair, bozo!", she said with a disturbing smile on her face.

It suddenly hit me that Marcus was her "Chase"; Lydia was Marcus' Bree. Then everything started to rumble. The walls and ground vibrated, causing Marcus and Adam to lose balance. I heard a huge crack and turned to find the table broken in its middle. The chairs rolled towards the center of the room and bumped into what remained of the conference table. My bionics allowed me to stay on my two feet and I sought to get an answer from Lydia this time.

"What's going on?"

"You're too late.", she replied, smug, "The rocket's gone. I'll see you soon, sweetie."

She showed me one side of the rope that used to hold her prisoner. The vibrations must have loosened the knots, I had the time to think, before she punched me again, with her hands this time. I fell on my back and watched her leave the room, powerless, as I struggle to collect my thoughts. Another loud noise distracted me again. I looked up as a whole piece of the ceiling plunged towards me. I heard someone scream my name and closed my eyes and in the darkness of my imminent death, admitted to myself: "I should have had a taste of his lips." I felt like someone swept me away. My eyelids opened to Marcus's mission suit. I recognized his smell from the time I had saved him from drowning: warm, fruity, a little sour, not unlike red berries tea or something. Adam stood by Marcus' side, eyes wide opened in stupor.

"Marcus! You…"  
"You are welcome!", he said, interrupting me. "No need to thank me, Cupcake, we're even!"

"I thought Davenport had blocked your abilities."

"He thought he had. I have back-up chips. Using them was not my intention. I was really trying to deserve your trust."

"That is not…"

"You have to understand, Bree. Chase… is not the only one who could not forgive himself if something happened to you."

"We've lost. Again.", Adam complained, clueless.

"I am sorry, Adam", I said softly, thankful he had interrupted Marcus'… moment. Where did he think he was going with his declaration?

"That is not entirely true", Marcus rectified, with his smug face back one, but somehow still not letting me go. "She dropped her cellphone. That's two prizes of high value I picked up today! So I declare this mission a definite win", he added.

I struggled to break free of Marcus' arms and headed towards our exit point. I really hoped none of the guys had seen me blushing…

**So, thoughts about Lydia? I really like this character, though you probably don't much about her just yet. In truth, me neither, that's probably what I like about her. She might not play a major role in this story... However... I have a few good ideas for her next, I guess we can talk about it later. Next chapter takes place at the school dance. Don't you love these parties where nobody feels like being happy and dance? Stay tuned for more Brase and mystery! **


	11. Chapter 9 - Importance of being Chase

**Hey readers! Sorry for the long delay. I did not plan on being flaky but I got buried with work. So let's get this over with! (In this chapter, 'normal' is Chase's POV, '****_italic_****' is Bree's** POV)  
_Music: Until it hurts - Fransisca Hall_

Chase's POV

"I don't know, Leo. I don't really feel like going to a dance.", I whined.

"And this, my bestest of friends, is exactly one you need one.", he replied, pointing emphatically to the poster hung in the hallway.

"The problem about school dances is that everybody from school goes."

"Exactly! Everybody! That means you and your sorry…"

"Let's all go together!", Adam shouted cheerfully.

Leo and I just had the time to dive to avoid his hug.

"But Bree?", I whispered to my stepbrother.

It was bad enough that Marcus' plan had been a complete failure and with it, my attempt to tell her I was moving on. For a second there, I had actually believed I had been telling her the truth, that the storm had been behind, but when Owen had implied…

Leo nudged me in the arm.

"We'll go over this only once, Chase, okay? She's going alone, too. If the situation changes, I'll let you know. In the meantime, you're going", he whispered back.

"I still don't know how to dance."

"I'll be your personal coach, and this time, we certainly won't be running after the same girl. But you're going."

"But Leo, I should stay away from…"

"I don't care. You're going."

"Fine", I said, slightly annoyed, and yet not completely able to suppress a smile.

It was nice that he cared, to feel like someone still did. And it would certainly take my mind off being cut off from the field missions. Some part of me was thankful that I could avoid these forced interactions with Bree, but in my case, ignorance wasn't bliss. I meant what I had said to Davenport: watching my siblings put themselves in danger and not being able to help was the worst form of torture I could think of. I was the one with the protection force field! I was the one who was responsible for protecting them!

These missions were also the only times where it was acceptable for me to spy on Bree and Marcus. I had not entirely decided if I shared Owen's opinions on the new status of their relationship, but I had caught myself several times paying more attention to the way they behaved around each other, than to the obstacles that could threaten their lives…. To the extent where I was not entirely sure how I was feeling about Marcus rescuing Bree. Guilty, obviously. Jealous, definitely. Relieved?

"Chase! Chase! Chase!", Leo was chanting really close to my face, making me jump. "Say it! Say it! It's gonna be awesome! Say it!"

"It's gonna be awesome."

Bree's POV

_I couldn't help but being impressed. The organizers had covered all the walls with dark blue drapes, picked with silver stars. They had also hung some bigger ones from the ceiling. With the white puffing smokes rolling around our ankles, walking in the cafeteria really felt like floating in a summer night sky. I know Adam and Leo would have called me vain for thinking this, but I was really glad I had set my choice on the soft purple-blue dress, rather than on the red one. It simply fell to the ground, almost covering my feet and was cut on one side, just enough to reveal the silver bracelet I was wearing on my left ankle. The piece of jewelry itself matched the one I had around my neck and I had done my hair upright so it would be plenty visible. I felt a little stupid, standing there by myself, all alone. I was fighting the desire to sit and hide, getting stronger every second, until I heard his voice behind me._

Chase's POV

"So, what do you think?", I asked.

Under the pretext of not wasting the clothes, I was wearing the exact same tuxedo I had worn two eternities ago when Bree and I had impersonated a couple in Paris. Following Leo's suggestions, I had unbuttoned the vest and the the first two buttons of my black shirt. My white tie was loose around my neck and he had pinned a red rose on my pocket to "offer it to a cute girl", he had said.

Bree giggled. I wonder what she was thinking. Something in her expression was worried and yet excited. And somehow it was worrying and exciting. I felt sparkles all around us, as if the room was overloaded with energy.

_I didn't turn around. I knew the voice well enough._

_"So, he said again. We are in a bit of a situation, here. Bree…", he breathed out my name in my neck. I shivered._

_"How so?", I asked and my voice sounded way too calm, almost as if someone else had answered for me._

_"Well, you promised you wouldn't tell anyone. But it was obvious Davenport knew… How are you going to make up for it?". I could hear the grin in his tone. I had never thought he would see my sharing his story as a betrayal. I wanted to face him and talk this out, but I felt like it would only make things worse. Better play along._

_"I don't have to do anything", I replied sharply. So much for following the flow._

_"Well", he said, "let's play a game."_

She barely moved and I could see her breathing was ragged. What I would have given to hug her right now… "Come on, Chase! We've been over this!", I scowled myself, "For Bree's sake, you should never ever act again on your feelings". As I let go of the intensity of the untold link that tied me to Bree, I felt the remaining excitement about the party wither… and die.

"Dude, you're staring!", Leo chimed in as he sat next to me at one of the tables, which had all been pushed against the walls for the occasion. He swiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. How long has he been dancing without a break? How long had I been "staring"?

_"A game?", I repeated, astounded._

_"Sure thing! If I win, you apologize. If you win, you're off the hook!"_

_"What kind of game?", I wondered out loud, unsure._

_"It's really easy", he started explaining in a condescending manner that had the hair on the back of my neck stand. "You walk five steps away from me, then face me. I ask you ten questions. You can discard three of them, but if you do so, you need to do three twirls. Each time. For the seven others, if you don't answer or lie, you take one step towards me. If you tell the truth, you can stay in place."_

_"If I reach you, I lose. Am I right?"_

_"Yes"_

_I knew the guy well enough to figure out the whole thing was rigged. But at this very moment, I would have done anything to free myself from my guilt and his disappointment._

"Listen, man! You've got to stop. It's like you're not even trying."  
"Leave me alone, Leo. It was a bad idea to make me go anyways."

"That's it!"

He stood up and stepped away from the table, obviously pissed off. Everything was obvious about Leo. Even if you tried hard, there was just no ignoring him.

"What?", I called him back, now also feeling the rage dangerously building inside my head.

"Dude! Do you know what's been going on in my life, say, these past two weeks?"

"Huh?". Not my brightest comeback.

"You know what? Let's start with an easier question. Who is my date?"  
"Your date?". I was quickly realizing how much Adam had to struggle every day, with Bree and I talking so fast, and like a thought immediately called for another idea. Maybe she and I were just too much alike, too in sync to realize our bionic brother could not follow. Leo and I were definitely not in sync right now.

"Yes, Chase. My date! For the dance? Who is it?"

"It's… hmm… Janelle?"

"Educated guess. But no, she's here with Ethan."

"With who?", I blurted out, puzzled.

"My point exactly, bro. Now quit feeling sorry for yourself and go back to being the smart and altruist version of Chase we all used to like. Because, honestly, I am growing tired of this one!"

He left without another word.

_He had evidently planned this. The succession of questions was way too fast for him to have the time to come up with them. Somewhere along the lines, I could also detect some sort of strategy coming out of the topics he chose to ask about._

_"You told everyone because you felt sorry for what my da… Douglas did to me, didn't you?"_

_"Yes"_

_"You thought it would make them trust me the way you already do. True?"_

_One step forward._

_"Do you love Chase?"_

_"Yes, of course". There was nothing specific about this question._

_"As more than a brother?"_

_He got me. Discarding the question would be the same as lying. I sensed he already knew the answer to all of his questions as well. I decided to keep my joker and stepped forward._

_"Do you think Chase has … feelings for you?"_

_I had never been sure if he had or if he was enjoying the fact that I did. With everything that had happened, I was not sure of anything anymore._

I decided tomorrow would be good enough to make up for being a bad brother and bestest of friends to Leo and focused my attention on Bree, just as she was spinning. Maybe a little too fast for a supposedly normal human being, but it was barely noticeable. Unless you were already staring, of course. She stopped facing the exact same direction she had started from, though she looked a little dizzy and distraught. Her cheeks were a little too red to be flushed by the heat in the unaired room.

A few feet away from her, Marcus was looking at her, intently, as if Bree were a prey and a prize.

_"Do you think Owen believes you and I are together?"_

_"Yes", I sighed and I already knew what the next question was._

_"Do you care?"_

_He had barely finished that I had already stepped forward. I wanted this game to be over, whoever was the winner. I was not sure there would be any._

_"Are you attracted or disgusted by the idea of us being together?"_

_This wasn't a fair question. We both knew it. But Marcus was speeding up. I turned three times as fast as I could without betraying my bionics. I couldn't tell if it was the heat or the turns or the questions, but I was starting to lose my balance. I kept my gaze focused on Marcus' face, everything around becoming blurry._

_"If you hadn't known me before, you would have dated me."_

_Not even a question. But still, one step forward._

_"Chase… or me?", he growled with some kind of a tremor in his voice._

_And then it hit me. I had won. I still had one joker to discard the question. Or I could reach him, let him win and he still would never have the answer to the one question he had planned all this game around. I had all the cards in my hands. I took a long, deep breath and finally met his expectant gaze._

And here they were, just two feet apart from one another, looking into each other 's eyes like they would find there everything that they had ever needed. With Leo AWOL, I figured I didn't have any reason to stick around any longer. I left my seat, slowly, trying to look like I had somewhere to go when I was just running away from an upcoming disaster. I walked, stiff, towards the exit, entirely focused on blocking out my surroundings. Especially Bree and Marcus. I was almost in the hallway when the excited gasps caught me off guard. I considered tuning in to Bree's heartbeat, one very last time, but decided against it. There was no need to be a super human to figure out they had k…

**Not a cliffhanger. And yes, this is the intended ending for this chapter. I'm sure some of you already figured out why it ends this way. Okay, so at this point, you must be furious at me for advertising a Brase story and giving you... this. You have every right to be, but if you stuck with me this long, I think you deserve some explanations**:  
**This is STILL, besides everything, a Brase story. I just wanted my characters to take some time to come around, understand these new feelings, accept them, and like it or not, Marcus plays a crucial role for this story to move into the right and hopefully happy (just kidding) direction. If you are still worried, just let me add that I had plans for this story from the very beginning and that I am not adding chapters just for the sake of making you wait. Stay with me! They're getting there! :)**


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